Air duct accessory for house windows



1963 B. H. CHRISTIAN 3,099,950

AIR DUCT ACCESSORY FOR HOUSE WINDOWS Filed June 14, 1961 INVENTOR 3/ a.

Y M494 I ATT NEYS.

United States Patent This invention relates to an air duct accessory forhouse windows, and has for an object to provide such a device that maybe used in window frames provided with guide tracks for upper and lowersash as well as a screen, and could be used for ventilation while thescreen is in place. The invention is particularly well suited for usewith the widely used, triple-track, aluminum, combination screens andwindows of the type including at least one vertically adjustable sashthat may be locked in any one of a plurality of positions between itslimits of vertical movement.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is ofsimple and noncomplicated construction, and one which may be used whilethe window is open to permit ventilation but effectively prevententrance of rain during a storm.

A further object is to provide a device of this type which may bereadily mounted in either of the sash tracks of the window frame.

Still another object is to provide a simplified structure which may bereadily and easily adjusted to fit window frames of different widthswithout changing its effectiveness.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention isnot limited to the specific details of construction and arrangementshown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scopeof the invention.

In this drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a window from the outside and showing myimproved device in place;

FIG. 2 is a section on a larger scale taken substantially on line 2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section substantially on line '3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device removed from the window, and

FIG. 5 is a front or outer view thereof.

This device is an attachment for a triple track combination storm windowor window with a screen, which enables the window sections to be opened,particularly the lower sash, partially to allow air to enter a room andat the same time keeping out rain or snow. In FIG. 1 it is shown in aposition in a window on the exterior of the house 9 with the lower sashraised, and when so mounted is in the nature of a hood which covers theopen portion of the window, which in this case is under a partiallyraised lower sash.

In the drawing the window frame is indicated at it the window being ofthe type comprising an upper vertically slidable sash 1'1 and a lowervertically slidable sash 12, operating in suitable guide tracks 13 and14 respectively in the frame. This frame also has a guide track 15 for ascreen at the inner side of the window sash.

This device is of Very simple construction, comprising three sectionsonly, including a central section 16 and two end sections 17 and 18, allof them formed from some suitable sheet material, preferably sheetmetal, such, for example, as aluminum or similar material. The threesections are so connected that they may be adjusted laterally to varythe length of the device to accommodate the device for windows ofdifferent widths. Each of the two end sections comprises an upright endmember 19 of substantially triangular shape including an upright inneredge 20, with a laterally and outwardly extending flange 21 on "ice thisedge adapted to seat in a guide track for the window sash in the windowframe. In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing it is shown as seated in theupright side tracks 14 for the lower window sash 12. The end member 19also comprises a downwardly and outwardly inclined upper edge 22 leadingdownwardly and outwardly from the top of inner edge 20 to a downwardlyand inwardly inclined outer or lower edge 23.

Each of the end sections 17 and 18 also includes a laterally extendingsolid top wall or strip 24 and 25 respectively, extending laterally fromthe top edge 22 and of a width substantially equal to the length of thistop edge.

The intermediate or central section or member 16 is also a solid stripof sheet material having its lateral longitudinal edges formed toprovide guideways for sliding engagement with the opposite side edges ofthe top strips 24 and 25. For this purpose the simplest and mosteffective form for these guides is to bend the opposite longitudinaledges of the member 16 downwardly and inwardly or backwardly, as shownat 26, forming longitudinal guides in the form of channels at the underside of the member 16 in which the opposite edges of the top strips 24and 25 are seated and telescoped for longitudinal sliding adjustmentbetween this intermediate member '16 and the end members 17 and 18, toadjust the device to tfit windows of different sizes. Also to helpretain the device in position within the window, each end section 19 hasa short lower edge 27 in which there is provided an upwardly extendingnotch 28 adapted to seat over the top of a longitudinal rib or ridge 29on the lower transverse portion 30* of the window frame adjacent theouter side thereof.

It will be seen from the drawing that the device is of extremely simpleconstruction comprising only the three sections or members 16, 17 and18, and all three being formed of suitable sheet material, such, forexample, as sheet metal; also that the telescoping sliding connectionbetween the three sections is of very simple construction which, whileproviding an effective, rigid connection between the sections, stillpermits relative sliding movement between them for etfective adjustmentto vary the length of the device for use in window frames of differentwidths and proper seating or mounting of the device in the properposition in the frame. The device is not a so-called window ventilatorthat is located on the inside of a house, but is an air duct accessorywhich, while permitting circulation of air, still is of a solidnonscreen construction which will effectively prevent entrance of rainor snow. Because of its nonperforate construction and its adaptabilityfor positioning in the opening below the raised lower sash 12 with thissash resting on the top edge of the device, as shown in :FIG. 2, iteifectively prevents entrance of rain or snow and deflects it outwardlyaway from the open part of the window.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. For use with a metallic triple-track combination screen and windowhaving a frame with three guide tracks, a vertically adjustable sash inone track, a sash in a second track and a vertically adjustable screenin the third track, an air duct accessory comprising: a plurality offormed sheet material parts in the form of a pair of spaced endsections; means for assembling said end sections as an operationalunitary assembly and permitting selective longitudinal extension orcontraction to adjust the overall length of the assembly to conform tothe width of the frame; each of said end sections comprising a generallytriangularly shaped thin flat end member comprising an upright inneredge, an upper edge inclined downwardly and outwardly from the top ofsaid inner edge, and a lower edge extending inwardly from the bottom ofsaid upper edge to the bottom of said inner edge; each of said endsections including flat strip portions extending laterally from saidupper edges toward the other end section of a width substantially equal,to that of the length of said upper edge; each of said end membershaving a laterally outwardly extending thin vertical flat flangearranged to be seated in the guide track for the adjustable sash; eachof said end members having means for receiving the upper edge of theusual horizontal sill of the frame to aid in positioning and supportingsaid accessory on said frame; and said strip portions together with saidmeans for assembling said end sections comprising air-deflectingsurfaces having top edges that are aligned with each other and arrangedto be aligned with the guide track for the adjustable sash whereby thelatter may be adjusted to contact said top edges and said air-deflectingsurfaces extend downwardly and outwardly relative to said frame when theair duct accessory is operatively mounted in the frame.

2. The air duct accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said receivingmeans comprises aligned notch means on said lower edges arranged to beseated over the usual upright longitudinal rib formed on the usualhorizontal sill of the frame.

3. The air duct accessory defined in claim 1 wherein said means forassembling said end sections comprises an intermediate strip of sheetmaterial provided with guides along opposite top and bottom edgestelescoping with the top and bottom edges of said strip portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS!1,234,-925 Moss July 31, 19:17

2,179,541 Burke Nov. 14, 1939 2,240,406 Kurtz Apr. 29, 1941 2,537,478Moss Jan. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,545 Canada May 5, 1953

1. FOR USE WITH A METALLIC TRIPLE-TRACK COMBINATION SCREEN AND WINDOWHAVING A FRAME WITH THREE GUIDE TRACKS, A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SASH INONE TRACK, A SASH IN A SECOND TRACK AND A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE SCREENIN THE THIRD TRACK, AN AIR DUCT ACCESSORY COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OFFORMED SHEET MATERIAL PARTS IN THE FORM OF A PAIR OF SPACED ENDSECTIONS; MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING SAID END SECTIONS AS AN OPERATIONALUNITARY ASSEMBLY AND PERMITTING SELECTIVE LONGITUDINAL EXTENSION ORCONTRACTION TO ADJUST THE OVERALL LENGTH OF THE ASSEMBLY TO CONFORM TOTHE WIDTH OF THE FRAME; EACH OF SAID END SECTIONS COMPRISING A GENERALLYTRIANGULARLY SHAPED THIN FLAT END MEMBER COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT INNEREDGE, AN UPPER EDGE INCLINED DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE TOP OFSAID INNER EDGE, AND A LOWER EDGE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OFSAID UPPER EDGE TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID INNER EDGE; EACH OF SAID ENDSECTIONS INCLUDING FLAT STRIP PORTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAIDUPPER EDGES TOWARD THE OTHER END SECTION OF A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALTO THAT OF THE LENGTH OF SAID UPPER EDGE; EACH OF SAID END MEMBERSHAVING A LATERALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING THIN VERTICAL FLAT FLANGEARRANGED TO BE SEATED IN THE GUIDE TRACK FOR THE ADJUSTABLE SASH; EACHOF SAID END MEMBERS HAVING MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE UPPER EDGE OF THEUSUAL HORIZONTAL SILL OF THE FRAME TO AID IN POSITIONING AND SUPPORTINGSAID ACCESSORY ON SAID FRAME; AND SAID STRIP PORTIONS TOGETHER WITH SAIDMEANS FOR ASSEMBLING SAID END SECTIONS COMPRISING AIR-DEFLECTINGSURFACES HAVING TOP EDGES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER AND ARRANGEDTO BE ALIGNED WITH THE GUIDE TRACK FOR THE ADJUSTABLE SASH WHEREBY THELATTER MAY BE ADJUSTED TO CONTACT SAID TOP EDGES AND SAID AIR-DEFLECTINGSURFACES EXTEND DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME WHEN THEAIR DUCT ACCESSORY IS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED IN THE FRAME.